For years, Unity and Unreal have ruled the game‑development landscape, accounting for roughly 70% of Steam releases projected for 2025. While Godot has made notable strides and some studios cling to proprietary solutions—Capcom’s RE Engine being a prime example—the market has largely been a duopoly.
Into this entrenched environment step three industry veterans: Arjan Brussee, Sjoerd De Jong, and Michal Valient, the founders of Immersive (Immens). Their résumés read like a who's‑who of top‑tier studios, spanning Epic Games (the creators of Unreal), Guerrilla Games, Boss Key, and even Apple. Together they believe there is still space for a fresh engine that addresses the shortcomings of today’s dominant tools. In a recent interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Brussee argued that the timing is ripe for a new platform that simply didn’t exist a few years ago.
“With AI‑assisted programming, we can start building from the ground up again,” he said. “Guided by intelligent automation, we can deliver full‑featured functionality much faster than traditional pipelines.” Valient, Immens’s chief technology officer, clarified that their use of AI is not about generating assets with a single prompt. Instead, the AI is woven into the engine’s architecture to make it highly extensible. “AI can reason over massive codebases and data sets,” he explained.
“If we design the engine with that capability in mind, even solo developers or tiny teams can plug in custom systems—say, a bespoke particle effect—without being limited to superficial scripting.” This philosophy aims to give creators the ability to extend the engine quickly, using AI as an accelerator rather than a black‑box wizard. The motivation behind Immens’s AI‑centric approach stems from the harsh economics of modern game production. Brussee described the current climate as “rough,” noting that development costs are spiraling upward, making it increasingly difficult for studios to stay solvent.
“We need new ways of working that cut costs, shrink team sizes, and speed up delivery,” he said. “If we can lower the financial barrier, we protect livelihoods and keep studios from going under.” De Jong, the chief product officer, observed that the engine market has become overly standardized and consolidated. While this has provided a stable foundation, he argues that the industry now faces a series of challenges that cannot be solved by merely iterating on existing tools. “We need innovation, not more of the same,” he asserted.
“The monolithic nature of current engines forces developers to adapt to rigid workflows and proprietary file formats.” He envisions an engine that behaves like a modular toolkit, allowing developers to swap components, append new features, and craft bespoke interfaces tailored to their personal workflows. “Imagine being able to build a custom editor with the exact shortcuts, panels, and shortcuts you need for your project,” De Jong said. “That level of flexibility is what we’re targeting.” Valient also warned that AI, while powerful, can quickly go off‑track if left unchecked.
To mitigate this risk, Immens is designed to keep users in the driver’s seat, offering full transparency over the AI’s actions and a complete history of changes. “You always know what the engine is doing and why,” he noted.
“This repeatability lets you create disposable tools for specific tasks—like generating five characters with a unique trait in minutes—without the months‑long overhead that used to be required.” Flexibility is baked into Immens’s core architecture. De Jong emphasized that the engine does not enforce a single workflow; instead, it provides a framework that lets creators decide how much AI to incorporate and where.
“The AI must understand the context correctly, but the choice of using it remains with the developer,” he said. Interoperability is another pillar of Immens’s design.
By adopting open, text‑based standards, the engine can seamlessly exchange data with popular tools such as Blender, Maya, or any generative‑AI pipeline. “When files are human‑readable, any system can parse them,” Brussee explained. “That openness means you can plug in third‑party software without fighting proprietary barriers.” This approach contrasts sharply with many existing engines that act as isolated ecosystems. The broader conversation around AI in game development is polarized.
Some pundits on LinkedIn hype the notion of “click‑to‑game” experiences where a single prompt could spawn a GTA‑level world. Immens’s team acknowledges that such extreme scenarios might eventually emerge, but they stress that AI should be viewed as a tool, not a replacement for craftsmanship.
“AI will make everyone better, not eliminate the need for human creativity,” Valient said. “It’s a disruptive technology, but it’s also an opportunity for responsible, productive use.” Economic concerns also linger, with many questioning whether AI‑focused startups are riding a speculative bubble. Valient draws a parallel to the dot‑com era, noting that while many companies vanished, the underlying internet persisted and thrived.
“We’re focused on building a solid engine first; AI simply accelerates our development and expands our imagination,” he said. “Whether the market is in a bubble is uncertain, but good technology endures.” Funding remains modest.
Immens has secured its “first commitments” but has not disclosed exact figures, describing the amount as “reasonable.” Brussee cautioned against over‑capitalization, noting that excess cash can breed complacency. “Startups need to stay scrappy; too much money can make you lazy,” he laughed. The company remains lean, consisting of the three founders plus a handful of helpers. This intentional size allows for rapid decision‑making and focused progress.
De Jong explained the trade‑off: a massive team does not guarantee success in building a complex engine, yet a window of opportunity exists as AI reshapes the industry. “We need enough resources to hit that window, but not so many that we lose agility,” he said. Immens is currently developing a proof‑of‑concept demo that showcases a generative‑AI‑driven editing workflow, slated for release within the month. The team originally anticipated a year‑long timeline after launching in April, yet they are already moving at double that speed.
“Predicting timelines is tricky when you’re breaking new ground,” Brussee admitted. Regarding the business model, Brussee expressed admiration for Epic Games’ “we succeed when you succeed” philosophy but admitted it is too early to define a concrete revenue strategy. Ultimately, the founders hope Immens will enable creators to push the medium forward, fostering more artistic risk‑taking and innovation.
“We love games and want to see more daring, creative experiences,” Brussee concluded. “If our technology helps make that possible, it would be amazing."